[Op-Ed] On the 80th Anniversary of Gwangbok, We Must Achieve Independence from Prejudice and Preconceptions

At the Hamyang Police Station in Gyeongnam, there is a flower that "blooms endlessly." A single tree can produce between 2,000 and 5,000 blossoms in a year. It is known for its prolific reproduction, perseverance, and tenacious vitality. This flower is the Mugunghwa, or the Rose of Sharon.

In "Shan Hai Jing," the oldest geographical record of the Eastern world from China's Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there is a passage that reads, "In the land of gentlemen, there is a flower called Hunhwacho, which blooms in the morning and withers by evening."

The "land of gentlemen" refers to Korea, and Hunhwacho is the ancient name for the Mugunghwa.

Namyong Moon, Crime Prevention Sergeant, Hamyang Police Station.

In a letter sent by King Hyogong of Silla to the Tang Dynasty, the phrase "Geunhwahyang" (槿花鄕: the land of Mugunghwa) appears. This suggests that the Mugunghwa has been native to Korea for about 2,000 years.

The word "Gwangbok" has two meanings. Gwangbok (光復) means "the restoration of lost land and sovereignty." Another Gwangbok (匡復) refers to "correcting what is wrong and restoring it."

August 15 marks the 80th anniversary of Gwangbok. Now, we must achieve independence from prejudice and preconceptions. In Greek mythology, there is the story of "Procrustes' bed."

Procrustes was a bandit who dragged travelers to his home and forced them onto his bed. If a person was taller than the bed, he would cut off their feet and head; if they were shorter, he would stretch them to fit the length of the bed, killing them. The Greek hero Theseus killed Procrustes in the same way.

The story of Procrustes' bed satirizes the act of setting one's own standards and judging everything by them. The dictionary defines prejudice as "a biased and unfair thought or opinion," and preconception as "a fixed opinion formed in one's mind about a person, object, ideology, or claim without direct experience."

Biased thinking and hasty assumptions undermine the values of "fairness" and "justice" in our society. In their place, the virus of privilege and foul play breeds distrust and conflict.

The seeds of misfortune that grow in this way can ultimately lead to ruin. When one becomes accustomed to dogmatic thinking and foul play, one may not even realize the crisis, like a frog dying in a pot of slowly boiling water.

By recognizing others and maintaining a humble attitude, we can avoid such dangers. The safety and well-being of our society begin with independence from prejudice and preconceptions.

On the 80th anniversary of Gwangbok, it is time to remove the Procrustes' bed within ourselves.

Namyong Moon, Crime Prevention Chief Inspector, Hamyang Police Station